2017 National Specialty

OK, have we made a believer out of you yet? For those of you newly returned from Perry, GA, thank you for your support and confidence. Wash off the road dust, kick up your feet, and take a second to bask in the moment. And for those of you who didn’t get the chance to make the trip, we hope to see you in Ft. Worth in 11 short months.

Let’s take a minute or two to talk about some of the things you’ll want to know.

The Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South with a total of about 7 million inhabitants. Dallas - the easternmost of the pair - is the more commercial, Ft. Worth, the smaller, the more historic and “old guard”. Our show will be held in conjunction with the Ft. Worth Kennel Club which prides itself on a tradition of Texas hospitality stretching back to 1920. DFW Airport is situated squarely between the two and is about a twenty minute drive from the show site and you can get a nonstop flight there from pretty much anyplace on the planet.

As in Perry, we’ve tried to keep everything in the same corridor so that you won’t get lost - our host hotel, the show site, and the venues for our two meals are all located on University Drive within a two mile spread, but if you’re feeling adventurous and like straying off the beaten path, there’s plenty to do including world class museums, the Bass Performance Hall, TCU, Sundance Square, and the Old Stockyards which to this day serve as a railhead for cattle drives not to mention the renowned “Billy Bob’s”, the world’s largest honkytonk.

All rooms are large suite configurations (one or two bedrooms available) with a living area and kitchenette and have patios or balconies ideal for setting up an ex pen or crate. The hotel abuts the Trinity River and a good number of the rooms will look out on it with its jogging path and green belt. We’ll be posting the Group Reservation Code as soon as the ink dries on the contract.

The show site is due North about two miles at the Will Rogers Complex (here’s its link: http://www.willrogersmemorialcenter.com ). We’ll be in the main building, the Amon G. Carter Exhibits Hall (you’ll be seeing that name a lot around Ft. Worth) in the Round Up Inn Ballroom. You’ll find it to be huge and carpeted - truly Texas sized - and the only breed we’ll be sharing it with will be the Sussex Spaniels who will also be holding their National there. Grooming space will be across the hall, there’s an alley that runs along side for easy unloading, and there’s abundant parking directly in front - covered is an option across the street.

Our specialty date is Friday, March 24, 2017 and it will be followed by two full days of all breed shows - details to follow - and once again Onofrio will be the superintendent. We’ll start with a welcome reception, buffet, and auction again on Thursday evening the 23rd at a venue which we think you’ll find delightful and surprising and less than a five minute walk from the hotel, and we’ll hold our Judges Dinner on Friday after the Specialty at a restaurant located in the heart of the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens - weather permitting, we might even do it al fresco. Some of you have already purchased shirts with the 2017 artwork.

For those who haven’t, Hilarie still has a few pieces left in long sleeve tees in limited sizes from the first run so give her a call. We’ll also have more surprises in store as we pick up steam. We’ll start posting details pretty soon so keep checking this page.